Vaughn Palmer
(talks to Joseph Planta with Rafe Mair looking on)
Reporter 1973-76, rock music critic 1976-80 and City Editor 1980-82
Vancouver Sun; journalism fellowship Stanford University San Francisco 1982-83;
editorial writer then provincial affairs columnist Vancouver Sun Victoria
1983-current; co-recipient Jack Webster Award for reporting 1988; edited Bruce
Hutchison collection To Canada With Love and Some Misgivings: The Best of Bruce
Hutchison 1991; winner Hyman Solomon Award for excellence in public policy
journalism 1998; contributor CBC Radio/TV Vancouver numerous occasions
1990s-current; host Voice of BC Shaw Cable current; contributor CKNW Morning
News with Philip Till 2005-current; recipient Bruce Hutchison Lifetime
Achievement Award 2006
***
(Copyright Vancouver Sun 2006)
Vaughn Palmer is 'in the tradition of the great political journalists
in our country's history'
Vaughn Palmer, The Vancouver Sun's veteran B.C. political affairs
columnist, has been named the recipient of the 2006 Bruce Hutchison Lifetime
Achievement Award by the Jack Webster Foundation.
The award, the highest for journalism in B.C., is named after Palmer's
late friend and mentor, whose own remarkable career covered six decades.
"Bruce meant a lot to me and that makes it special," Palmer
said Tuesday.
"Webster and Hutchison together in the name of an award are a
pretty impressive combination, so I am very touched and honoured and
grateful."
Patricia Graham, The Sun's editor-in-chief, said she could not think
of a more apt recipient than Palmer.
"I consider him the best political commentator in Canada -- for
his encyclopedic knowledge, his prodigious memory, his ability to get the story
and keep the ideas coming, his terrific contacts, his fine, incisive writing --
and he's got a wicked sense of humour to boot," she said.
"The man is unbeatable; simply a superb journalist."
Palmer began his career with The Sun in 1973 as a reporter, and
subsequently became the newspaper's rock music critic, city editor and an
editorial writer before moving to the paper's legislature bureau in Victoria in
1984.
Since then, he has covered the rise and fall of eight premiers and countless
provincial politicians, and become a well-regarded commentator on B.C. affairs.
In addition to his newspaper columns, he provides daily commentary
each morning on the Philip Till show on Vancouver radio station CKNW, as well
as a weekly opinion piece on the Bill Good show on the same station.
His own award-winning television talk show, Voice of B.C., has aired
on the Shaw Cable system for the past eight years.
He also edited To Canada With Love and Some Misgivings: The Best of
Bruce Hutchison, a collection of writings by The Sun's editor emeritus, who
died in 1992.
David Mitchell, a well-known B.C. author and former Sun columnist who
has written biographies of several B.C. premiers and is currently
vice-president of the University of Ottawa, said Palmer's award is
well-deserved.
"In the world of political journalism, not only in B.C. but in
Canada today, there are very few journalists who live up to this ideal and have
gained this kind of perspective," said Mitchell, who also served five
years as a provincial politician.
"It's in the tradition of the great political journalists in our
country's history."
Webster Foundation co-chairman Chris Weafer said the judges were
impressed by Palmer's honesty and integrity.
"He's dealing with very high-level issues in the province,"
he said. "In that realm, you have to have a high level of integrity and
the ability not be intimidated in the pursuit of a story."
Palmer will receive his award at the annual Webster Foundation dinner
on Oct. 30 in Vancouver.
Previous winners include Vicki Gabereau, Tony Parsons, Rafe Mair,
Allan Fotheringham, Patrick Nagle, Roy Peterson, Cameron Bell, Keith Bradbury,
Dan McLeod, Denny Boyd, George Garrett, Moira Farrow, Jim Hume, Warren Barker,
Len Norris and Bruce Hutchison.
***
Vaughn Palmer has been the Vancouver Sun's provincial affairs
political columnist, based in Victoria since 1984. His column appears on the
Sun's page three five days a week. He has covered eight B.C. premiers -- and
counting.
Palmer was born in Gaspe, P.Q., in 1952. He moved to B.C. in 1967 and
finished high school in Nanaimo, where he never once played bingo. He attended
the University of B.C. and worked on the student newspaper, the Ubyssey.
Palmer has worked for The Vancouver Sun since 1973. He started as a
reporter and has also worked as an editorial writer and rock critic, an
experience he describes as "only slightly more crazy than covering the
B.C. legislature."
From 1980-82, he was city editor for The Sun. In 1982-83 Palmer
attended Stanford University on a journalism fellowship. In 1988 he shared the
Jack Webster Award for reporting with The Sun's Gary Mason.
In 1998, he was the winner of the Hyman Solomon Award for excellence
in public policy journalism.
***
Who is Vaughn Palmer?
Vaughn Palmer has been the provincial political columnist for The
Vancouver Sun since 1984. Based in Victoria, Vaughn has covered eight premiers
during his time in the provincial capital and observed the full range of
issues, personalities and scandals in our rich political scene.
Palmer was born in 1952 in a small English community near Gaspe,
Quebec. He moved to British Columbia in 1967 with his parents. He finished high
school in Nanaimo and attended the University of B.C. where he worked on the
U.B.C. student newspaper, The Ubyssey.
He started as a reporter at The Vancouver Sun in 1973. Three years
later, he became the paper's rock music critic. After four years in the music
scene, he made the move to the news desks and was made city editor. Following
two years as city editor, he spent a year in San Francisco, attending Stanford
University on a journalism fellowship.
He returned to the paper in 1983 when, after a brief stint as
editorial writer, he was appointed to write the provincial affairs column.
One of the most rewarding aspects of Palmer’s Victoria posting was the
opportunity to get to know The Sun's editor emeritus, Bruce Hutchison. Prior to
Hutchison's death in 1992, Palmer edited a collection of his work, To Canada
With Love and Some Misgivings: The Best of Bruce Hutchison (Douglas &
McIntyre, 1991).
***
First Filed: 9/15/2006
Vaughn Palmer wins lifetime achievement award
BC provincial affairs columnist Vaughn Palmer has been named the 2006
recipient of the Bruce Hutchison Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jack
Webster Foundation.
The award is one of the most respected and prestigious in Canada, and
recognizes Vaughn Palmer's contribution to journalism.
Since 1986, Palmer has covered eight premiers through a variety of upheavals in the volatile political life of British Columbia, making him the resident expert on the Legislature and one of the most sought-after commentators on politics and the issues that shape the province.